Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1887-02-11
What our Merchants Should Do.

Farmers who come to this county from
other counties of the State and elsewhere
and settle, co.nplain of the lack of enter
prise on the part of our merchants in not
Offering a market for numerous little sur
plus products of the farm, outside of the
staple productions. They say that almost
anywhere else in the rural districts the
nearest country store offers ready and
fair market to the farmer and his vie for
numerous little surplus products of the
farm and household, such as dairy pro-
ducts, eggs, young chickens and other
fowls, fruit, fresh vegetables and numerous
other little articles which are produced
on we'll regulated farms at a profit; while
here in Charles, with the exception of eggs,
crow heads and rabbit fur, the local mer-
chant offers no market at all for such com
modities and has as rule no facilities for
handling them.
1t is truly observed tAat the small sur
plus of such little products usually mar
land farm, would not justify the farmer in
taking them himself to the nearest ship
ping point, GOTTEN a good distance,) aud
consignlng them to city commission
merchant to sell for his account. But
with the merchant the matter would be
different. He, purchasing from all the
farmers in his neighborhood, would collect
sufficient of such commodities to justify
him in sending his wagon to the nearest
shipping depot and making daily, or tri-
weekly consignments of them to the city,
so that they would reach the city while
still fresh and marketable and in such
quantities as would enable his agent to
handle them to advantage. He, too, be-
ing more familiar with the city and its
demands, would be better able to super
wise his gent aud secure advantageous
sales.
| The country merchant, who deals hon
credit for the necessities Of the farm
during the year to be paid out of his crops,
is really public benefactor and useful
citizen in the rural community. But in
these hard times, when the staple products
are selling so low, the honest farmer, how
ever upright his intentions and frugal he
may be in his domestic life, is often un-
able to meet his just liabilities. The sta
| pie products do not pay and the farmer
and his good wife naturally look about tor
some other little industries, such as the
dairy, the more extended and better culti-
vated garden, the better cared tor orchard,
and divers other little things as a means
of increasing their much diminished in
come. There is scarcely any farm in the
county that could not make surplus OF
such little commodities amounting in the
course of the year to from one hundred TO
two hundred dollars or upwards, when
their attention is once turned to it. For
lit is notable fact that, though cereals
and staple produces are so low, the pro-
ducts of the dairy, and frequently of the
orchard, the garden and poultry house as
we'll, when fresh from the nearby coun-
try, command full values in the marke's
of the neighboriug cities.
Here then is an opportunity which is Of
fered to-our merchants of making them
serves further useful TO the community,
while at the same time serving their own
interests as we'll. For if these little indus
tries were properly encouraged and pur
sued, few farmers would be behind in
their accounts with their merchant Let
US hope that our merchants may exhibit
some enterprise in this matter. II there
ever was or is to be time calling for an
honest cooperation on the part of all
classes in encouraging local industry and
economy such time is now.